Non-degree Seeking Admissions

Admission as a Non-Degree Seeking (NDS) Student

Applicants who do not meet priority application deadlines for a given term may be able to enroll as a non-degree seeking student, depending on the completeness of the applicant's admissions file.

Undergraduate

Students may earn 12 semester hours at the undergraduate level within the school as NDS or Unclassified students, after which they will be encouraged to declare a major or explore options with a student advisor.

Those enrolled as NDS students may take no more that nine (9) undergraduate semester hours during a single term.

Graduate

Students who wish to pursue non-degree graduate coursework in the School may enroll in a maximum of nine (9) semester hours of study at the graduate level provided the following conditions are met:

Students must provide an official transcript from the regionally accredited college/university that conferred their baccalaureate degree, prior to registering for any graduate course. This does not apply to students applying for graduate credit who are in-service educators or the general public who wish to take education courses through the professional development course offerings.

Students must meet all prerequisite requirements of the course/courses in which they wish to enroll.

Students must obtain written approval from the program chair of the program in which enrollment is desired.

Students understand that credits obtained as a non-degree seeking graduate student may or may not apply at a later time to a graduate degree program in the School.

The program chair may elect under special circumstances to permit a student to take more than nine hours of graduate credit for transfer to another institution of higher education, provided the student can document evidence of admission to a graduate program of study at that institution and acceptance of these credit hours toward the program. Additionally, the program chair reserves the right to make exceptions to this policy deemed appropriate to his/her program area.

Undergrad Certificates

Admission to Undergraduate Certificate Programs

Students seeking admission to the Certificate of Applied Studies in Information Systems, the Certificate of Applied Studies in Information Security, or the Certificate of Applied Studies in Paralegal Studies must have earned an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited four-year college or university with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.

Applicants are notified about scheduling a testing session after submitting the undergraduate application.

Test scores are used to route applicants into an appropriate course of study that best enables academic success.

Accepted students will place into ENGL 101U, ENGL 201U, ADED 300U or ADED 301U based on the admission pathway and test scores. Academic advisors will provide admission guidance and options after receiving applicant test scores.

Test scores are good for one year. Applicants may provide evidence of ACCUPLACER scores earned within the last 365 days for consideration and placement.

An applicant may opt to retake the placement test once at his or her own expense of $10. Applicants may register through their academic advisor for a retest on the next scheduled placement test date. The highest test score within a given session will be considered.

Students whose ACCUPLACER scores do not qualify them for ENGL 101U or higher will be given the opportunity to take the noncredit course, English Foundations. At the end of English Foundations, students who re-take the ACCUPLACER but still do not achieve a score high enough for placement into ENGL 101U will be permitted to take English Foundations one additional time. No student may take the course a third time without permission from the Senior Associate Dean.

Non-native English speakers may be required to submit valid TOEFL scores.

Admissions Decisions

The School uses a selective admissions process to evaluate applicants. The most important predictor is an applicant's ability to do college-level work. As such, the School offers several undergraduate admission pathways depending on college experience, writing aptitude and GPA.

1. Well Qualified Transfer Admission

Applicants who have recently completed college-level study at a regionally-accredited community college or four-year institution may be candidates for well qualified transfer admission (WQTA). WQTA applicants are given priority and must successfully demonstrate the following:

Minimum 24 semester hours of transferable coursework completed in the past 10 years

Minimum 2.5 GPA on all previously attempted college coursework

Earned a 'B' or better in English Composition and a 'C' or better in college-level math

Earned satisfactory ACCUPLACER scores:

At least 100 on both Reading Comprehension and Sentence Skills tests - OR -

Combined score on both tests of at least 210 with neither score below 95

2. Weekend College Admission

Applicants to the Weekend College BALA in Interdisciplinary Studies program must successfully demonstrate the following:

At least 45 semester hours of transferable college credit

Minimum 2.0 GPA on all previously attempted college coursework

Maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA on all attempted coursework at the School

Earned satisfactory ACCUPLACER scores:

At least 80 on Reading Comprehension test and at least 85 on Sentence Skills test - OR -

Combined score on both tests of at least 175 with neither score below 75

3. Transfer Admission

Applicants who have completed some college-level study at a regionally-accredited community college or four-year institution but do not meet the minimum requirements for WQTA may qualify for transfer admission (TA). TA applicants must successfully demonstrate the following:

Minimum 3 semester hours of transferable college-level coursework

Minimum 2.0 GPA on all previously attempted college coursework

Earned satisfactory ACCUPLACER scores:

At least 60 on both Reading Comprehension and Sentence Skills tests - OR -

Combined score on both tests of at least 130 with neither score below 55

4. Non-Transfer Admission

Applicants who have never studied at the college level or do not meet the minimum requirements for TA will only be considered for non-transfer admission (NTA). NTA requires applicants to complete foundation coursework at the School pursuing part-time study (registering for no more than nine semester hours) while completing these requirements. NTA applicants must successfully accomplish the following:

Complete all foundation coursework with a grade of 'C' or better in the first 3 semesters at the School

Maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA on all attempted coursework at the School

Earned satisfactory ACCUPLACER scores:

At least 60 on both Reading Comprehension and Sentence Skills tests - OR -

Combined score on both tests of at least 130 with neither score below 55

Students admitted to any undergraduate or degree program, without prior college experience, may enroll (register) in a maximum of nine (9) semester hours of credit in the first semester of study in SPCS.

Admission Notifications

Applicants will be notified of admissions decisions by letter, generally during an interview with an academic advisor. If admitted to a degree program, the admissions letter will include a University ID to be used in establishing a BannerWeb account and network ID.

Graduate Degrees

Admission to Graduate Programs

Transfer of Graduate Credits

Up to six semester hours of graduate credit may be transferred toward a graduate program in the School. Transfer credits may be accepted only from another fully accredited institution of higher education. In order for graduate academic credits completed prior to admission into a graduate program to be considered, credits: (1) must have been completed within the past five years with a grade of 'B' or better; (2) must not have been used to satisfy requirements for another degree or certificate at the University of Richmond or another institution of higher education; and (3) must be approved by the Program Chair. Possible transfer credits completed while in the program must receive prior approval by the Program Chair. Except by waiver, no more than six hours may be transferred into a graduate program.

Graduate Admission Process

Students seeking admission to a graduate certificate or a master's degree program must complete the following:

File a Graduate Application with the School and submit the non-refundable $50 graduate application fee

Have official transcripts from all colleges and/or universities where college work was attempted forwarded directly to the School

Have three (3) letters of recommendation sent directly to the School (not required for Graduate Certificate in Teacher Licensure Preparation)

Have official TOEFL scores sent (when applicable)

Official documents verifying college and university work and test scores must be sent from the institution or agency responsible for the information directly to the School.

Additional requirements vary by graduate degree programs. See the section that follows for the graduate program to which you are applying.

HR Mgmt. (Grad)

Admission to the Master of Human Resource Management and the Graduate Certificate in Human Resource Management

Students seeking admission to the Master of Human Resource Management or the Graduate Certificate in Human Resource Management must have the following (in addition to the admission requirements for all graduate programs):

A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university (or international equivalent)

A grade point average of 3.0 or higher on all college or university academic work attempted

Students who do not meet the minimum GPA requirements may be considered on a case-by-case basis for conditional admission. To remain in the program, conditionally admitted students must earn a minimum 3.0 grade point average in the first three semester hours taken following conditional admission.

Liberal Arts (Grad)

Admission to the Master of Liberal Arts

Students seeking admission to the Master of Liberal Arts must have the following (in addition to the admission requirements for all graduate programs):

A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university (or international equivalent)

A grade point average of 3.0 or higher on all college or university academic work attempted

A one-page statement of purpose which clarifies the student’s goals and gives a broad indication of the type of focus the student wishes to pursue. Applicants seeking the MLA Concentration in Public History should discuss public history as their area of focus.

Teacher Licensure (Grad)

Admission to the Graduate Certificate in Teacher Licensure Preparation (TLP)

Students seeking admission to the Graduate Certificate in Teacher Licensure Preparation must have the following (in addition to the admission requirements for all graduate programs):

A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university (or international equivalent)

A grade point average of 2.7 or higher on all college or university academic work attempted

Two (2) official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended submitted directly to the School

Passing scores on the Praxis Core submitted directly to the School (ACT or SAT scores that meet the minimum criteria may be substituted): details below

A brief explanation of why they want to become a teacher along with a current résumé submitted to the School

Two (2) professional references (“TLP Applicant Rating Forms”) submitted directly to the School

A successful interview with the program director or designee

Testing Requirements for TLP Admission

Testing information changes periodically, so please visit the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) Assessment Requirements for the most current information.

Scores that meet minimum criteria may substitute for Praxis Core exam scores. We accept personal copies of scores; request a copy from your high school (on your transcript) or through the College Board. Do not send SAT or ACT scores directly to the School.

Taken on or after March 1, 2016: Overall 1,170 (Evidence-based Reading & Writing 580; Mathematics 560)

Curric. & Instruction

Admission to the Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction

Students seeking admission to the M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction must have the following (in addition to the admission requirements for all graduate programs):

A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university (or international equivalent)

A grade point average of 3.0 or higher on all college or university academic work attempted. Students who do not meet grade point average requirements may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Successful interview with the program director or designee

Recommended Qualification

In addition to the above requirements, it is recommended that applicants to the programs have a strong foundational knowledge in K-12 education demonstrated by possessing a valid teaching license or classroom teaching experience.

Ed. Leadership

Admission to the Graduate Program in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Students seeking admission to the Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies must have the following (in addition to the admission requirements for all graduate programs):

A graduate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university (or international equivalent)

A grade point average of 3.0 or higher on all college or university academic work attempted. Students who do not meet grade point average requirements may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Successful interview with the program director or designee

The three letters of recommendation should include an individual who can attest to the candidate's academic ability and potential as a graduate student and from supervisors who can attest to the candidate’s demonstrated leadership ability. The supervisor recommendation might include a school principal or school superintendent. At least one of the recommendations should derive from the K-12 perspective.

Master of Education

Students seeking admission to the M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies must demonstrate all of the same criteria as for the Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies except they need only to have completed at least a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university (or international equivalent).

Recommended Qualification

In addition to the above requirements, it is recommended that applicants to the programs have a strong foundational knowledge in K-12 education demonstrated by possessing a valid teaching license or classroom teaching experience.